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In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses God’s remnant and its mission, constituting the thirteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.

A remnant is a group of people who remain loyal to God no matter what.

Noah and his family were an example of the remnant people in the beginning.

In Genesis 6:5, 11, we read, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” verse 8 says. God told him of His plan to destroy the earth with flood because people were so wicked. Amid the destruction, there would be a way of escape for those who chose to accept God’s grace through faith and obedience.

God asked Noah to build an ark, inviting people to come inside so that they would be safe from the flood. Noah preached for 120 years but only his family of eight chose to be saved.

In the last days, before Jesus returns to earth to take His children to heaven, a similar situation will happen. The world will be filled with wickedness but those who trust and believe in God will remain strong in following His ways amid worldly influence.

Our thirteenth fundamental belief states, “The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His Second Advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness.”

Throughout history, God has always had His remnant people. Thousands of martyrs have sealed their faith with blood, especially during the Dark Ages. The same persecuting power of the Dark Ages will rise again as a religious and political power in the last days. It will persecute those who will not submit to its demands.

God’s faithful remnants are referred to in Revelation 12:17 as those who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” However, these people are not an exclusive club. Everyone who loves Him, accepts the truth from the Bible, and willingly follows Him, can be part of them.

These remnant people are commissioned to share the three angels’ messages found in Revelation 14:6-12. 

“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him Who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water'” (Revelation 14:6,7).

It implies that the first angel proclaims the everlasting good news that God is our Creator, the source of salvation. And we are to worship only Him. It also indicates that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Still, it includes the message that the hour of judgment has come—a call for true repentance and reformation.

Moving on, Revelation 14:8 reads, “And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'”

This second angel warns that Babylon, the biblical symbol of false worship and coercion, will fall. God’s judgment is coming. So, people must flee the confusion of Babylon and its false teachings and turn to Christ and His truth.

The third angel’s message warns, “saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9, 10).

This final crisis involves true and false worship. Time will come when everyone on earth will decide whether to worship the beast or be true to God.

The proclamation of these messages is the mission of God’s remnant people. Through the remnant church, He proclaims a message to restore true worship by calling His people out of apostasy and preparing them for His return.

The end is near. Jesus is coming soon. Now is the time to give our hearts fully to Him and become part of the remnant, fulfilling His mission.

To know more about the thirteenth fundamental belief, go to https://www.adventist.org/remnant-and-its-mission/.

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In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, share what the Bible teaches about the church, specifically what it is, how it began, and what its purpose is today.

In Genesis, God created Adam. But “it is not good for man to be alone,” so he created Eve to be his companion. And together, they worshipped God as their Creator.

“From the earliest times, God-fearing families in the lineage of Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, and Abraham were the guardians of His truth. These households, in which the father functioned as the priest, could be considered the church in miniature. To Abraham, God gave the rich promises through which this household of God gradually became a nation. Israel’s mission was simply an extension of that given to Abraham: To be a blessing to all nations, showing God’s love for the world” (Seventh-day Adventists Believe: An Exposition of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 167).

Through Israel, God desired to create the largest church on earth where representatives of all nations would gather to worship, learn of Him, and preach to their own people the message of salvation. Unfortunately, Israel fell into idolatry, nationalism, and pride, hence, failing in its mission.

Then, Jesus came into the world and died on the cross, signifying the end of Israel’s mission but inaugurating the Christian church and its mission to proclaim salvation through His redeeming blood. Everyone was invited to accept this gift of salvation and become a part of His church.

Meanwhile, the Bible uses metaphors to describe the church. In Ephesians 2:16, the cross reconciles all believers “to God in one body.” In 1 Corinthians 12:13, believers are “baptized into one body.” In Colossians 1:18, Christ is the “head of the body,” and in Ephesians 5:23, the “head of the church.” These statements emphasize the unity of the church and the relationship among its members.

In addition, 1 Corinthians 3:9 refers to the church as “God’s building.” Also, Ephesians 2:20, 21 explain that it has been “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone, in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”

Still, the church is described as a bride with Jesus as the bridegroom. “I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy” (Hosea 2:19). “‘Return, O backsliding children,’ says the Lord; ‘for I am married to you'” (Jeremiah 3:14). Also, Jesus “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25).

Finally, the church is a family that unites heaven and earth. “For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…” (Ephesians 3:14).

In connection to this, the twelfth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists states: “The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are called out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the Word, for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, for service to humanity, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, Who is the incarnate Word revealed in the Scriptures. The church is God’s family; adopted by Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ Himself is the Head. The church is the bride for whom Christ died that He might sanctify and cleanse her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish.”

To learn more about this fundamental belief, visit www.adventist.org/the-church/. Also read Ellen G. White’s The Acts of the Apostles at www.egwwritings.org, particularly the first chapter entitled “God’s Purpose for His Church.”

In closing, God has given us the wonderful privilege of being part of His church. He invites us to unite with Him in proclaiming the gospel into all the world. Let us also invite others to be part of this church and thank Him for this gift.

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In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson tackles the eleventh fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—growing in Christ.

Growth takes time. 

For instance, planting a garden requires a lot of work and care before the plants get mature. Similarly, raising a child takes years of nurturing before he becomes a full-grown adult. Even friendship takes time and commitment for the relationship to grow.

Growing in Christ is a wonderful privilege to have once we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. It begins with His death on the cross that redeemed us from sin. 

In Colossians 1:13 and 14, God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

In connection, Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

However, to “walk in the Spirit” requires death to self. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The closer we get to Christ, the more we love Him, and the more we become like Him.

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God” (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).

This concept of growing in Christ is echoed in our eleventh fundamental belief. 

It states, “By His death on the cross, Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He Who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life.”

To read more about this fundamental belief, you may visit www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/.

In closing, Pastor Wilson shares these four essential, practical building blocks for growing in Christ:

1. Prayer

Through prayer, we connect with God. 

Colossians 4:2 reminds us to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”

2. Reading the Bible

The Bible is our faithful guide.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

3. Applying what we’ve learned

We must not only read the Bible but also do what it says.

As stated in James 1:22, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

4. Meeting with other believers

God wants us to encourage and strengthen our fellow believers for we are one family and one body of Christ.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

As you grow in Christ, remember that He loves and cares for you. He died to redeem you from sin and give you eternal life. He dwells within you through the Holy Spirit, speaking to you in prayer and guiding you through His Word.

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In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses the tenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—the experience of salvation.

The experience of salvation that reaches deep into the souls comes from God alone. “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5).

Only through Jesus Christ can we experience salvation. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Our tenth fundamental belief states: “In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, Who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit, we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord, Substitute and Example. This saving faith comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God’s grace. Through Christ, we are justified, adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit, we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him, we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.”

Jesus freely offers us the gift of salvation from sin. All we have to do is accept it. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10, 9-10).

Once we accept this gift, He forgives our past sins and looks at us as if we’ve never sinned. He then helps us overcome sin. As said in Jude 24 and 25, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

After accepting Jesus, He calls us to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). He wants us to have a better, happier way to live. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Jesus meets us where we are and delights in saving us from our lost condition. There is no sinfulness His grace and forgiveness cannot redeem.

In response to His great love, we follow God’s law and teachings. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

But if we make mistakes, God is still there to rescue us. Before He was crucified, He warned His disciples, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

Though we’ve chosen Jesus, we will still be tempted to sin. But He promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Finally, Steps to Christ p. 70 explains what it truly means to experience salvation in Christ: “A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.”

As an appeal, Pastor Ted invites you to come to God now and experience this gift of salvation today!

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In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about Jesus Christ. He focuses on His life, death, and resurrection, the central focus of the Scriptures and the ninth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.

This belief is at the very heart of Christianity because Christ’s life on earth, death on the cross, and glorious resurrection give us hope of salvation.

In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect. Unfortunately, when they chose to disobey Him, sin entered the world. Thankfully, God had devised a plan to save them. That is, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This beautiful promise signified that God the Son, Jesus Christ, would come to earth, be born of a virgin, and take on our humanity. He would die in our place, taking the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross that we could be reconciled. He suffered the condemnation that should have been ours to set us free from sin and allow us to live forever with Him.

“The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He Whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He Whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father’s face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary’s cross” (The Great Controversy, p. 651).

But Jesus was not alone in this great sacrifice. He was with God the Father. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God gave the gift of His Son so that we might have eternal life. We must accept this gift and allow Him to change our hearts. Not only did Jesus die for us but He also lived a sinless life that serves as an example for us to live by. His life, death, and resurrection gave us salvation and showed us what love really is.

The Seventh-day Adventist fundamental belief #9 states: “In Christ’s life of perfect obedience to God’s will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect atonement vindicates the righteousness of God’s law and the graciousness of His character; for it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness. The death of Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming. The bodily resurrection of Christ proclaims God’s triumph over the forces of evil, and for those who accept the atonement assures their final victory over sin and death. It declares the Lordship of Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and on earth will bow.”

What an amazing, incredible God we serve! He has provided a way for our salvation. As Paul put it, “For since by man came death, by Man (that is, Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21, 22).

There’s so much to learn from this fundamental belief by visiting www.adventist.org/life-death-and-resurrection-of-christ/ and reading The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.

As an appeal, Pastor Wilson invites you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Jesus is waiting for you with forgiveness freely available to all who come. Now is the time to come to Him.

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Wars and devastation. Sickness, disease, and death. Disasters of various kinds. Where is God in all these? If He is kind, loving, and good, why does He let these happen?

To answer this, let’s go back to the beginning of time.

Following the creation of the world, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31). Everything was perfect but what happened?

Let’s go back further—back into heaven where the trouble began.

There were angels in heaven. “Bless the Lord, you, His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word” (Psalm 103:20). Hebrews 1:14 adds, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”

Unfortunately, there was one angel named Lucifer who thought he knew better than God and determined to no longer follow His Word. He wanted to rise above Him and be his own god.

Lucifer is described in Ezekiel 28:12-15 as follows: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”

Isaiah 14 adds, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'” (verses 12-14).

Therefore, sin was brought about by Lucifer’s pride. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17).

With this, Lucifer, then Satan, deceived one-third of the angels, who joined him in rebellion. “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Satan brought his deception to earth, particularly in the Garden of Eden. He won by convincing Adam and Eve to take the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their disobedience to God, expulsion from the garden, and miserable life.

Since then, the entire humanity has been in a cosmic battle between good and evil. As our eighth fundamental belief states, “All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe.”

It continues, “This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God’s adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the time of the global flood, as presented in the historical account of Genesis 1-11. Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation.”

Indeed, the great controversy is real. This world and our hearts are the battlefield. Which side are you on? Pastor Wilson would like to invite you to surrender your heart and recommit it to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Learn more about this fundamental belief at www.adventist.org/the-great-controversy/.

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In Psalm 8:3-5, we see a beautiful song glorifying God the Creator: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.”

This passage shows the value God has placed on human beings. He has made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. Indeed, we belong to Him.

Also, God created us perfect. “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

God formed man with His own hands from the dust of the earth. Then, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). Out of this, Adam was created. He was made of a body and the breath of life.

But God realized Adam needed a companion. “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18). When Adam slept, God extracted one of his ribs and made it into a woman. As he woke up, he met Eve.

God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28).

God placed Adam and Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden to live there forever in happiness. Unfortunately, they fell into sin after eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This transgression caused them and the entire humanity pain, misery, and death.

But God told them He would provide a plan of salvation for humanity, saving them from eternal ruin. To Satan, He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15).

Although Satan had brought sin into humanity, he would be defeated. A way of escape would be made for all people who would choose Jesus as their personal Savior.

This covenant of grace was made even before the fall. The members of the Godhead planned among Themselves to save the human race should it fall into sin. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Indeed, we are precious in God’s sight. We are the work of His creation and recreation through His salvation.

Our seventh fundamental belief states: “Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and freedom to think and to do. Though created free beings, each is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath and all else. When our first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon Him and fell from their high position. The image of God in them was marred and they became subject to death. Their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences. They are born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in penitent mortals the image of their Maker. Created for the glory of God, they are called to love Him and one another, and to care for their environment.”

In connection to this, Steps to Christ, page 15, reminds us that “through transgression, the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name ‘sons of God.'”

What a wonderful Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend we have in Jesus!

Read more about this fundamental belief at https://www.adventist.org/nature-of-humanity.

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In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, talk about Creation as discussed in the sixth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.

They begin by mentioning the most complicated and expensive space observatory in history so far, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched on December 25, 2021.

It was a result of decades of painstaking research, detailed planning, and complex engineering by a multinational team of astrophysicists, astronomers, engineers, and other scientists. It was designed to accomplish what other space telescopes haven’t been able to—to peer deep into the cosmos and see light from the earliest galaxies to form the “Big Bang.”

Indeed, this is an amazing achievement by man. But it’s so ironic that most people do not see that the vast universe is created by an all-powerful God Who spoke worlds into existence.

We read in Psalm 19:1-3: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” Also, Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Our existence and the existence of this world and the universe come from the power of the Creator. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

With this, the fundamental belief of Creation is foundational to who we are and what we believe and practice as Seventh-day Adventists.

This doctrine states: “God has revealed in Scripture the authentic and historical account of His creative activity. He created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation, the Lord made ‘the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them’ and rested on the seventh day.”

It continues, “Thus, He established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of the work He performed and completed during six literal days that together with the Sabbath constituted the same unit of time that we call a week today.”

“The first man and woman were made in the image of God as the crowning work of Creation, given dominion over the world, and charged with responsibility to care for it. When the world was finished it was ‘very good,’ declaring the glory of God.”

“The work of creation cannot be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life?…In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. ‘He spake, and it was;…He commanded, and it stood fast’ (Psalm 33:9). All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth. In the creation of man was manifest the agency of a personal God” (Ministry of Healing, p. 414).

In continuation, “when God had made man in His image, the human form was perfect in all its arrangements, but it was without life. Then a personal, self-existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man became a living, intelligent being. All parts of the human organism were set in action. The heart, the arteries, the veins, the tongue, the hands, the feet, the senses, the faculties of the mind, all began their work, and all were placed under law. Man became a living soul. Through Christ the Word, a personal God created man and endowed him with intelligence and power” (Ministry of Healing, p. 415).

How comforting it is to know that we were created by a personal, self-existing God Who loves us and has endowed us with intelligence and power!

Above all this, love motivates what God has done for He is love. He created us not only for us to love Him but also so that He could love us.

In the next episode, we will look more closely at why understanding Creation is important and how foundational it is to our lives today.

In the meantime, Pastor Wilson invites you to visit adventist.org/creation to read more. Also, you can find videos, presentations, articles, photo galleries, and more at grisda.org.

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We have learned about God the Son and God the Father in the previous episodes. In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about the third Person of the Trinity. He is invisible but existent—God the Holy Spirit.

Our fifth fundamental belief says: “God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth.”

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, leads us to repentance, and transforms our lives to be like Jesus. He also helps us understand the truth God has revealed in the Bible.

“His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood…Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error and expels it from the soul” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 13).

Moreover, the Holy Spirit “strives” as Genesis 6:3 says: “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…” He also “teaches” as in Luke 12:12: “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” He convicts as John 16:8 notes: “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Also, He inspires as 2 Peter 1:21 indicates: “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Lastly, He sanctifies as 1 Peter 1:2 states: “…the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” 

We see the Holy Spirit’s activity and involvement in some remarkable events in the Bible.

For instance, He was active at Creation, “hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:1,2). 

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” He was referring to the necessity of baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.

During Jesus’ incarnation, an angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Jesus acknowledged the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He said in Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

Also, before His crucifixion, Jesus assured His disciples: “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:25, 26).

In Acts 10:38, Peter preached to the household of Cornelius, saying, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…”

To conclude, we are to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit by surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to transform our lives. He was sent to teach, guide, comfort, encourage, and transform us. However, the choice is ours to accept Him. But Jesus warned us about the consequences of resisting the Holy Spirit.

With this, let us heed the call given in Psalm 95 and repeated in Hebrews 4:7: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

To know more about the Holy Spirit, Pastor Wilson encourages you to visit adventist.org/holy-spirit.

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